Countries like Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and U.A.E. built
empires in the sand because of a substantial amount of oil in the early 20th
century. The oil and petroleum industry grew during the last decade, with
global prices peaking at a whopping $145 per barrel.
The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) an alliance of
22 nations, having more than 60% of the world’s oil and 45% of the globe’s
natural gas which means that they are one of the main global generators of
greenhouse gases and in turn drivers of climate change. Thus, a push for more
sustainable sources of energy coupled with the latest entry of competitors into
the market (e.g. alternatives like shale gas) is gently coaxing the focus away
from oil and petroleum.
Electricity consumption has grown in the region in the
decades following the discovery of oil due to rapid infrastructure development.
The dry and hot climate of countries like Kuwait, UAE, and Saudi Arabia mean
water is a scarce resource so they meet their large water requirements through
massive desalination plants drawing water from the seas around. Desalination
plants ring the Persian Gulf, the Red Sea and the Mediterranean, representing
over 46% of our world’s desalination capacity. Fossil fuels currently power
these plants and make up approximately 50% of their operating costs.
In the past decade, MENA is undertaking multiple
massive solar power projects. At the end of 2018, MESIA (Middle East Solar
Industry Association) reported that the region had started, completed or is
currently operating enough projects to generate more than 12,000 MW of energy;
an increase in production by 15% from last year. Due to the geographic
location, the Middle East receives more than 3600 hours of sunshine annually so
investors are setting up solar farms to convert solar power into usable
electricity. Announcements of new solar power plants are popping up all over
the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) states. Funds are being committed and
contracts awarded on a very large scale however, this does not mean power
generation always happens.
Solar power has to compete with other renewables so a
power source, which is tied to unreliable sunshine, becomes less appealing. PV
panels only produce power when they receive sunlight, so even a passing cloud
renders them unproductive. Part of the problem is that even though the cost of
producing electricity from solar PV has fallen, the value of the electricity
generated fell even quicker.
The shift from fossil fuels to solar power and other
renewable sources is an inevitable natural transition in the 22nd century and
MENA, along with other Gulf States being the prime territories for solar power
generation. As solar production increases and greater applications are found
across the different fields, further innovation will only bring down costs. As
the liquid gold underground runs out, perhaps the Arab world will turn harness
the gold in the sky.
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